


There is no redemption for the evil

by CatherineParker



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, season one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-08
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-09 10:27:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/454456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherineParker/pseuds/CatherineParker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The blue light of the ambulance flashed now rhythmically over the neighborhood houses, bathing everything in an unreal, dooming light. Mary-Margaret pushed herself forward, looking in faces of friends and neighbors who had gathered, woken by the alarming scream of the ambulance horn. She could see the fear in their faces, but she found herself unable to comfort any of them, not when her own fear for Emma was slowly overwhelming her. '</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in season one, before Regina's curse was broken.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Emma knew that it was wrong to come here, especially when the hatred and anger was still flowing like hot, burning liquid through her veins.

Her yellow bug came to a stop in front of the white, impressive mayoral mansion and the grit made a crunching, awkward sound beneath the wheels. The evening had been stifling hot and Emma grabbed the steering wheel in a hard grip, peering outside through the windshield. Dark clouds were pregnant with rain now, the sky was smoky-gray and sticky winds ripped through town.

To confront the Mayor again, wasn't certainly a good idea, but she needed to get the steam off, that had built unstoppable since the afternoon. Her latest heated exchange with Regina was fresh on her mind, going in thoughts repeatedly over every word and each insult, which had hit too close to home.

Emma had no real idea why she was here, or what she wanted to do. Only that Regina had been the cause of her anger and now, Emma decided, responsible to make it go away. She was almost sure, that she would end up even more upset when she left the home of the sturdy woman later, but maybe, only maybe there was a possibility to work something out between them.

Her hopes were crushed as soon as the mayor opened the heavy front door, her eyes flashing coldly. "Miss Swan, what do you want now?" The brunette wasn't even trying to hide the annoyance at Emma's sight, disdain bleeding into her voice. "I had hoped I'd be spared your company even if it's just for a couple hours, but I assume I was wrong to believe in such hopeless endeavor."

Emma ground her teeth, clutching her hands into fists as she tried not to raise to the bait. "Madame Mayor, we need to talk about this. We can't go on and on biting each other's heads off. If not for your sake, but for Henry's then."

Regina eyed her, her face void of emotion, holding the door in a hard grip. "If you just would've left like you had claimed and promised over and over again, you wouldn't need to worry about Henry's well being now. I can't be the one responsible for all your faults and inadequacies, nor I am I willing to fill that role. Your unwanted appearance has damaged the relationship between my son and me enough already. See to it that you leave this town, then we won't have any further disagreements." Regina lips curled into a bloody sneer, "Good day Miss Swan."

The Mayor was about to slam the door right into her face, but Emma's hand came up quickly, forcing the door open again. "We are not done here, Regina. We are done, when I say we're done, but we're not." With that Emma pushed roughly past the Mayor in the mansions foyer.

"I could've you arrested for unlawful entry and coercion." The Mayor spit, turning on her heels, closing the door with a loud thud. She was clearly not amused about Emma's refusal to play by her rules. But wasn't that the big crashing point between them after all? Emma refusing to do Regina's bidding?

Emma took lazily a look around in the modern hall with its crisp furnishings, her feet shifted in a nervous twitch over the black and white marble floor, until her gaze met brown eyes, that were just as cold as the interior, staring back at her.

A smile settled on Emma's lips, "that sounds like a very good plan to me, Madame Mayor. Let's call the one and only law enforcement this town has to offer." Emma watched with amusement as Regina's features twitched in fury. Emma face-palmed herself in a mock gesture; "Oh, I forgot! That's me!" Her tone losing all its light quality, "how unfortunate for you, because I'm going nowhere until we've figured out how to deal with each other!"

Regina stepped closer, invading Emma's personal space like so often, without hesitation, her voice low and dangerous, "You're leaving my house at once, Miss Swan, or you won't live to regret it."

Emma narrowed her eyes, not able to suppress the shudder running down her spine at the Mayor's tone, "is that a threat?"

"It certainly is dear, so I suggest you leave. Now. Before something tragic happens."

"I'm not afraid of you or your empty threats, Regina. Because that's everything you are - empty."

One moment Regina's eyes were smoldering with unrestrained rage, the next she exploded. Emma didn't see it coming, as the Mayor backhanded her hard, straight across the face. Emma's head snapped back and one hand went to cup her face, to where the stinging blow had been delivered, the other went unconciously for her gun strapped to her waist.

"Shit! What the hell!"

Emma hadn't even realized that she was pointing her gun at the Mayor in a reflex motion, until she saw the surprised look flicker across Regina's face. Her jaw hurt like hell and Emma felt blood dripping down from a cut on her lip.

"What now Miss Swan?" All surprise had vanished from the Mayor's features, being replaced by taunting indifference. "Are you going to shot me?"

Emma's head was spinning. She hadn't indented to point her gun at Regina, but she couldn't move her hand to lower it either. The startled expression on the Mayor's face, even when it had only lasted for mere seconds, had felt so inappropriately good.

"You definitely would deserve it." Emma said lowly, eyeing Regina closely.

"Would I?" Regina taunted, surprising Emma as she stepped closer, the barrel of the gun now pressing hard against her chest. Emma watched in awe as the tanned skin that peaked out from her blouse whitened under the pressure.

"Regina...-"

"You need to point it here, dear." Regina said lightly, as if talking about the weather, pressing with her index finger against the barrel, moving it more to the left, directly over her heart. Their eyes locked and they just stared at each other in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. Emma imagined to feel the strong beating of Regina's heart vibrating through the gun into her hand. 

Emma moved to lower the gun, but Regina's hand clasped tightly over her own. A quiet gasp escaped her lips, the moment their skin came in contact, a jolt went through Emma's body like from an electric shock. The touch of Regina's hand was gentle and painful all the same.

"Regina. Let go." Emma said quietly, cursing herself for pointing the gun at the older woman in the first place. The only thing she was glad about in this moment was that Henry was at a friend's house for a sleep-over. She never would live through it, when he had seen her pointing a gun at his mother. No kid should ever see such violate actions, especially carried out between the people most close to them.

Regina wasn't moving, the brown of her eyes had been swallowed by pure blackness. "You would like to pull the trigger now Miss Swan, don't you? Getting rid of me for once and for all."

Emma shook her head, unable to speak as her throat constricted painfully at the sudden sadness in the Mayor's voice. There was suddenly a darkness in her eyes that made her skin crawl. She realized in that moment, that she never had been more afraid in the other woman's company as she was now.

"You could claim you acted in self defense," Regina's voice was distant, as if she pictured the scene in her mind's eye, "everybody would believe you."

The brunette's gaze followed the trail of blood, that had traveled down Emma's throat, staining the blonde's white tank-top crimson. "Henry, wouldn't judge you, he would welcome it." Her dangerous glinting eyes were meeting Emma's again.

Emma tried to pull the gun away slowly, but Regina's grip was still unearthly strong and relentless. Her fingers hurt, it felt like the Mayor was crushing them beneath her own. Emma wondered how and why the sudden change in the Mayor's demeanor had taken place, from anger and fury to painful despair. She realized in that moment that her statement about being empty must have hit the mark. Emma had wanted to hurt her, like Regina was hurting her all the time.

But now she wished she hadn't.

Despite all their fights and violate encounters, Emma knew that Regina was - somewhere deep inside - hidden beneath all the anger, threats and her cold mask, a genuine loving woman. The thought alone made her cringe inwardly, but Emma knew it was true. Henry wouldn't be such a lovely and sweet kid, curious and compassionate, if she wasn't. His mother had taken care of Henry, when Emma herself wasn't able too. And she had done an excellent job. The look in the Mayor's eyes now, was making her most uncomfortable. Gone was the emotionless shell, but her expression remained utterly blank.

"Henry wouldn't want that Regina." Emma said, her gaze wandering between the Mayor's eyes and where her gun was pointing at Regina's very heart. "Deep down, you know that he loves you."

"Do I, Miss Swan?" Regina's voice was just above a whisper and Emma felt a cold shiver run down her back, "he hates me." Unshed tears brimmed in her eyes and Emma's heart clenched painfully at the sight. "There is no redemption for likes of me." Her gaze met the Sheriff's as her index finger moved slowly over Emma's own, like a caress, "and I only want what's best for him."

A single tear rolled down her cheek and Emma watched it fall.

"Tell Henry, that I'll never stop loving him," Regina said, as her finger pulled the trigger.


	2. Chapter 2

Time stood still and the world around her had ceased to spin.

The blowback was heavy and Emma had to take a step backwards to keep her balance, her eyes stayed trained on Regina, even when the Mayor's blood covered her like a spray from head to toe.

Regina's eyes fluttered closed and her body fell like in slow-motion to the floor.

This was one of these moments in life, Emma realized as she stood frozen to the spot, one single moment she would never be able to forget. A moment that would haunt her through the passing of time, in every waking moment from this day forward until her last.

Regina's eyes.

Emma would never be able to forget the look in the Mayor's dark eyes as she slowly squeezed the trigger. So much hurt. So much desperation. She would never be able to forget Regina, the woman had found a way to make sure of that.

Blood.

There was suddenly so much blood. Regina's blood, staining the pristine marble floor crimson.

How much the brunette would have hated the mess.

\---

It was palatable for everyone that something had happened.

None of the residents of Storybrooke could remember a night so black and gloomy. Flashes illuminated the sky over the small town, and a thunder broke through the sky above a primary teacher who was looking up into the sky in front of her apartment. Clouds already waiting impatiently to unleash a storm with gusts of rain, which would be willing to end the world.

There had been only a few things over the past 28 years that have frightened Mary-Margaret to the core. The call that woke her in the middle of the night was certainly one of them.

The man on the other end of the line didn't tell her much, only that there had been an accident at the Mayor's house and that Emma had been involved. His voice came unbearable loud through the small speaker, trying to drown out the background noise around him; echoing strangely out of place in the otherwise deadly quiet apartment.

Her only thought and worry were about Emma, her roommate, who she has grown so attached to over the past few months, so very much in fact, that the possibility of losing her or her being injured made her heart clench in chest.

The wind ruffled through her short hair, the second she left the safe confines of her car, parking at the side of the street, close to the Mayor's home. About fifteen minutes ago, she had heard the ambulance driving through town, sirens blaring loudly in the dead of the night.

The blue light of the ambulance flashed now rhythmically over the neighborhood houses, bathing everything in an unreal, dooming light. Mary-Margaret pushed herself forward, looking in faces of friends and neighbors who had gathered, woken by the alarming scream of the ambulance horn. She could see the fear in their faces, but she found herself unable to comfort any of them, not when her own fear for Emma was slowly overwhelming her. May it be no more than a sense of foreboding, but the teacher couldn't shake off the uneasy anxiety that something unpleasant and frightening had happened. Something, that was going to affect everyone's life around here, in one way or the other.

The foyer of the white mansion was illuminated brightly, light flooding through the windows and the partly opened front door in the dark night. The uneasy feeling became stronger and more oppressive which each step Mary-Margaret took, as she forced steadily one foot in front of the other - willing herself to the entrance door.

She had been at the Mayor's mansion once in the past, bringing Henry some of the homework of his class as he had fallen sick and had to stay in bed for a couple of days. It usually was not the task of a teacher to bring homework to their pupils, but the young woman felt a special connection to all of them; caring so much about them, maybe too much.

The smooth surface of the door felt cold as ice against her fingers, as she gathered the strength to push it finally open. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her. She would have done everything in the world, in order to be spared the sight. However, it was already too late for that.

A shaking hand went to cover her mouth, muffling the sudden outcry of shock and horror. Seconds passed before she realized it had been her own, but was thoroughly unable to loosen her grip.

The Mayor had never been friendly to her. She had never smiled, nor was she ever grateful for one thing or the other. Whatever Mary-Margaret had done, it never had been good enough for the Mayor. But whatever had transpired between them, even with all the hatred and the unprovoked unfriendliness towards herself, Mary-Margaret could do nothing, but tremble in shock and the wave of sadness, as her eyes fell on the woman who had despised her the most. Even the sight of Emma, appearing to be uninjured did nothing to calm her nerves, then her roommate was kneeling in a huge pool of blood, next to the stairs, cradling the Mayor's lifeless body in her lap.

\---

Mary-Margaret dragged her through the door of their apartment, which had been the closest thing to a home as long as she could remember. Everything had happened in a blur, she couldn't remember the drive back here - or had it been a walk - Emma couldn't tell.

Mary-Margaret had her weeping son in her arms, gone was the boy who always had seemed too old for his ten years. There would be time to comfort him, Emma thought, but she couldn't be the person to soothe his pain. Not when his mother's blood was still wet on her hands.

"Emma."

It was Mary-Margaret's gentle, but also penetrating tone, that brought her out of her haze long enough to look at the teacher, or when Henry's stories were to believe, her mother.

"Take a shower; I'll bring Henry to bed." Emma stared at her for a long moment, until the words finally reached through the dense fog that had clouded her mind.

"Go."

With a slight push into the direction of the bathroom, Emma started to move. The door of the small room closed behind her with a soft click. The sudden silence was suffocating and Emma had to force herself to breath against the constricting pain in her chest. Minutes passed before her hand finally let go of the doorknob. It was only then as she fumbled with the buttons of her jeans that she gazed up at her reflection in the mirror and knew why Mary-Margaret had wanted her to clean herself up.

She barely recognized herself. There were tiny blood splatters everywhere on her clothing and her skin. The material of her jeans was soaked from the knees downwards, where she had kneeled in the crimson pool and begged to god or any other deity that may exist - to bring her back. Sure, she and Regina had their disagreements, but it never was supposed to end this way; she never had wanted it to end this way. _Regina._ She couldn't wrap her mind around it, but the violent traces on her body forced her into acknowledgement of the cruel truth.

The Mayor was dead.

She had held the body of the older woman in her arms, until the last warmth had faded. Emma would be still sitting on the large mansion's floor, holding her, were it not for the medics and Mary-Margaret who had forced her eventually to let go. She could still hear Henry's heartbreaking screams in her ears.

'Nooo Emma don't let them take her away! Emma nooo, she'll be alone. We can't leave her alone. Emma please. We have to help her. Emma.'

There was no chance that she would be ever able to forget the panic-stricken look on his tears stained face. Or the scream leaving his throat as he had rushed into the place that had been his home since he was born. It had been a mind-shattering wail of agony, reminding more of a wounded animal as a human being, as he was struggling in Mary-Margaret's arms to get to his mom.

Not to her. _But to his mom._

Emma would have laughed, if she were able to feel anything, that only now, after Regina was gone, Henry finally realized that he had loved her, that he would miss her. So much. But Emma couldn't feel anything. She was empty inside and her body numb.

Shedding her clothes to the tilted floor, Emma entered the shower stall and turned on the water. Even standing under the scalding hot spray, did nothing to her, she felt nothing. The water washed the red liquid from her body and Emma watched in morbid fascination as the stained water run in circles, before it disappeared in the drain.

Emma couldn't tell how much time had passed until Mary-Margaret finally knocked on the door and asked for her to come out. As she entered her room, Henry was already curled up in the sheets and fast asleep. She was exhausted as she climbed into the bed with him, cradling him into her arms as if she could protect him from the memories that would haunt them both for a lifetime.

The last thing Emma wished for, before sleep finally claimed her, was to get another chance. A chance to change this day. To save Regina. She never had wished for anything harder in her entire life.

No one noticed the falling star that illuminated the sky to almost daytime brightness for a mere second, before it disappeared into the night.


End file.
